Starting 2026 as we mean to go on, we’re bringing you the first Spotlight of the year with Jens Benninghofen, who has an incredible collection of travel images in his 17吃瓜在线 portfolio.
His work has been published in many notable publications such as TIME Magazine and The Telegraph and it’s not hard to see why. Capturing the vibrant communities of Asia and beyond, Jens has a real talent for bringing us an authentic glimpse into the diverse lives and different cultures of communities we may otherwise never get see ourselves.听聽
Jens strives to inspire an appreciation within his audience for these unique ways of life found in our shared world, and looking at the images he produces I think it’s safe to say he’s been successful in achieving this goal.听
Read on to discover Jens’ favourite location to shoot, how important it is to build relationships with the people he’s photographing and his advice for those budding photographers just starting out.
‘Nowadays I focus on telling the story of humanity and beauty of planet earth.’ – Jens Benninghofen
LG: How long have you been a photographer and what made you want to get into photography?
JB: I have loved taking pictures from the moment I got my first camera at 6 years old (a Minolta 35mm film camera). I started taking photographs seriously when I turned sixteen and my grandfather gave me a SLR camera. Up until 2006 I exclusively shot slide film, focussing on capturing landscape and my travels to Canada, Australia and India.
Shooting with film taught me valuable lessons about quality of light, how to carefully compose and condense the essence of the world around me into a single frame, and how to understand the聽limitations of the photographic medium when recording contrast and dynamic range.
LG: What kind of story do you want to tell with your photos?
JB: Nowadays I focus on telling the story of humanity and beauty of planet earth.
I like to take visually inspiring images which make my audience appreciate the cultural and natural diversity of our planet and the people inhabiting it. Since we are losing cultures and species at an ever-increasing pace, I believe it is important to educate the next generation and motivate them to help conserve the beauty of our earth.
LG: Where is your favourite location to shoot? How much preparation does it take to shoot there?聽
JB: My favourite place to shoot is definitely India. The cultural diversity is simply breathtaking and the vivid colours allow for striking images. On top of this, the people are really proud of their culture and appreciate others taking an interest in them.
My preparation for a shoot there usually starts with some research on the Internet. I used to live and study in India 20 years ago, so I have a list of places, festivals and communities I would like to visit and document.听 Once I have verified dates and places (not always easy since festivals follow the Hindu calendar and not all published dates are correct), I contact friends, local people and guest houses so that I can stay in the relevant area and have a local guide.
LG: You often shoot local communities, do you feel that you need to build a relationship with them in order to capture the best images of them? If so how do you do this?
JB: Building relationships is crucial for shooting local communities. Depending on where you shoot, these relationships聽may need to be built up or can develop spontaneously. For example, if I shoot a religious ceremony or people at their home, it is very important to be guided by someone from or at least close to the relevant communities, so that they can introduce you, translate, ask for permissions and help people get comfortable with you. It is also important not to rush things and take your time, and this is particularly important since I would like to get natural portraits and document real life.
If I am documenting a larger public event or festival I also try to talk with participants and spectators聽and try to participate in the event in order to get as close to the people as possible, and to find intimate moments on the sidelines. This helps to tell the whole story of an event, from all angles.
LG: What advice would you give to a fellow photographer who is just starting out?
JB: Take your time, experiment a lot, develop your style and find out what you love to shoot. Only turn professional if what you love to shoot can actually provide you with the income you desire. Otherwise stay amateur and enjoy a great hobby without the commercial pressure.
We hope you found this interview with Jens as inspiring as we did. To follow him on his adventures you can find him on Instagram , and check out his website . To see his full collection on 17吃瓜在线 (well worth a browse), click here.听
If Jens has inspired to you to get travelling with your analogue camera, check out the related reading below before you set off!